


Little Moments

by TheEigthPillarGeneral



Series: Black Moon [11]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Bonding, M/M, Mild Fanservice, Romance, Visual Kei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 21:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14627043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEigthPillarGeneral/pseuds/TheEigthPillarGeneral
Summary: In between recording the album and planning out concerts, Renji and Byakuya talk about music careers and concerts. And Renji posts a photo as a preview of his upcoming photoshoot.





	Little Moments

**Author's Note:**

  * For [junko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/gifts), [Josey (cestus)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestus/gifts).



> Here is the 11th instalment :) Enjoy!

The sun was slowly rising, the sky turning pink and lilac in morning light, by the time Renji arrived at his apartment, having gone on an early morning run. As Renji shut the door and slid his shoes off, he glanced at the clock, relieved to see that he still had time. Removing his shirt, Renji tossed it into the laundry basket as he undid his ponytail, heading straight for the shower. He’d really worked up a sweat.

Days had passed since he kissed Byakuya, and Renji couldn’t get the memory out of his head. As he cleaned himself under the spray, Renji vividly remembered kissing Byakuya and the new sensations he’d felt. Byakuya’s lips were softer than he’d expected and tasted of lipstick and wine. He’d smelled of a delicate fusion of musk and jasmine, a scent that really suited him, and his hair felt as soft as silk. Renji had almost felt like a highschooler kissing their crush for the first time, and he’d forgotten just what that felt like.

And looking at Byakuya in the moonlight right then… it was as though he was made for moonlight. He looked so beautiful and ethereal, and effortlessly transcendent.

It was almost like a cliché. Two men of different social classes falling in love with one another, despite the odds. The only thing that wasn’t a big cliché, Renji supposed, was that he was an artist and Byakuya the CEO of the label he was contracted to. That was definitely a different kind of romance, albeit not a bad one.

Kuchiki Byakuya may appear cold-hearted and aloof, but he was clearly a romantic at heart. Renji felt privileged to have seen that starry-eyed version of Byakuya and help him regain confidence in his dreams. He felt honoured that Byakuya would sing and play the piano for him, that Byakuya clearly trusted him.

Not to mention, the way Byakuya’s eyes lingered upon him whenever he was in costume or shirtless.

Renji knew he was attractive, and he liked using that to his advantage on the stage and in music videos. After all, he had the sexy bad boy appeal that never failed to win fans over. He didn’t brag about his looks, but he knew that he was quite the looker. He just let his skills and talents take over and add to his appeal.

But somehow, Byakuya was able to make him feel truly beautiful, especially when he looked like he was going to lose control. As he finished up with his shower and shut the water off, Renji remembered that first concert when they locked eyes. After that brief little moment, he had almost felt Byakuya’s eyes following his every move onstage, as if he was tracing his tattoos with his eyes.

And knowing that he was able to completely charm someone as aloof and cool as Kuchiki Byakuya was pretty hot, to be honest. Especially regarding the ‘Black & White’ filming, Renji remembered how he’d rendered Byakuya speechless during the scene when he was dominating Bazz-B. It made Renji feel good, knowing that he captivated Byakuya and made him lose composure for a few moments.

Speaking of that…

Renji opened up his laptop and went onto his blog. Unlike Ichigo, Chad, and Hitsugaya, Renji didn’t have a Twitter or Instagram. Instead, he had a blog that he made sure to update regularly, like Hisagi. A small, mischievous grin crossed his face as he started to make a new post. He’d been allowed to take one photo from the photoshoot with him, and he even had permission to give the fans a little glimpse.

The photo in question showed a wet, shirtless Renji standing in waist-level water against a black background. In the photo, Renji was posing with both arms folded behind his head, wet hair spilling freely as he gave sensual bedroom eyes to the camera with a small, wolfish grin on his face. Adding the fact that it was more than clear that Renji was naked in the photo, it was gonna be fun to tease the fans like this.

With that, he wrote a little bit about the photo before putting it onto the post, and then published it. Closing his laptop, Renji decided to head to the Senbonzakura Music building for the recording session today.

As he headed out of his apartment, Renji saw Jinta and Ururu also leaving their apartment to go to school. “Yo, Jinta, Ururu-chan,” he greeted.

Ururu bowed slightly. “Good morning, Abarai-san,” she greeted in her timid manner.

“Oi, where have you been?!” Jinta demanded immediately. “You haven’t played futsal with us for days!”

Renji smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I’ve been really busy, you know?” he said. “Don’t worry. I’ll do my best to make time and play with you soon.”

Jinta huffed. “It’s not like I wanted to, anyways,” he muttered.

“Sure,” Renji said, chuckling. “Anyways, have a good day at school, you two. I’ll see you soon.”

“You have a good day too, Abarai-san,” Ururu said.

* * *

When Renji came into the meeting room, he saw Ichigo looking rather proud of himself. Curious about that, he was about to ask what happened when Ichigo approached him, still looking excited.

“Guess who just got tattoos?” Ichigo asked, grinning.

Renji was surprised. “No, really?” he asked. “Let me see them.”

Ichigo showed off his right forearm. To Renji’s pleasant surprise, he saw the tattoo of two kanji in black ink decorating his forearm and surrounded by tendrils of black shadows outlined with red.

Renji whistled, impressed. “That’s pretty badass,” he said, reading the kanji. “‘Mugetsu’?”

“I dunno, it just kinda spoke to me, I guess,” Ichigo said. “And here’s my other tattoo.”

He showed off his left forearm, which also had the tattoo of two kanji upon it. This time, it was surrounded by tendrils of electric-blue light.

“‘Tensa Zangetsu’,” Renji read. “‘Heaven Chain Slaying Moon’ and ‘Moonless Sky’. Gotta admit, that’s pretty cool. But make sure you take care of those tattoos properly.”

“I know,” Ichigo said. “To be honest, I kinda wanted tattoos like yours but I didn’t want to take away from your look.”

Renji smiled. “I’m flattered, really,” he told him. “But full-body tattoos are a bit too much for someone like you. Really, it wouldn’t suit you too well. I think these ones suit you just fine.”

“New tattoos?” Chad entered the room right then. “Who got tats?”

“Ichigo did,” Renji said, ruffling Ichigo’s hair. “He’s become a man now!” he teased.

Chad got a look at them before giving Ichigo a thumbs-up. “Good job,” he praised. “Do they hurt?”

“Yeah, kinda,” Ichigo admitted.

“At least you didn’t get them on the face,” Hisagi said as he arrived. “Those hurt the most.”

“Nice tats, Ichigo!” Yoruichi praised. “They suit you perfectly!”

“Just couldn’t resist Renji’s tattoos, right?” Hitsugaya asked wryly. “By the way, we’ve started getting an international following now.”

“International already?” Ichigo was surprised.

Hitsugaya nodded. “Yeah, and there’s a growing fanbase in Mexico as well,” he said.

Chad blushed at that.

“Alright guys, we have some things to discuss regarding the October concert,” Yoruichi started. “First things first: costumes! You know, since it’s a Halloween concert and all. What ideas do you have for your own costumes?”

They’d already planned a theme for their Halloween concert: Gothic horror. For that, they were planning on dressing up in costumes that made them look like horror movie characters, and playing a setlist of songs that explored the themes of the violence and gore of horror.

“I was thinking of Frankenstein, kinda,” Ichigo admitted. “See, I know how to do the stitch effect and make it look real. Perks of being a doctor’s son, I guess.”

Next was Hisagi. “I kinda want to be a vampire,” he said. “I think I could pull it off pretty well.”

“A demon,” Chad said. “One with wings, horns, and a tail.”

“And I’m gonna be a killer priest, complete with traditional clothing,” Hitsugaya said.

Yoruichi then turned to Renji. “And you? What costume do you want?” she asked.

“I’m kinda torn between two choices,” Renji admitted. “Either a werewolf or a creepy nun.”

Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

“A creepy nun? Really?” Ichigo asked, surprised. “No offense, but I highly doubt you could pull it off.”

“Where the fuck did you even get that?” Hisagi asked.

Renji shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed. “I dunno,” he said. “I thought it’d be cool at the time.”

Chad shook his head. “Werewolf suits you better,” he said.

“And besides, I’m already gonna be a killer priest,” Hitsugaya added.

“Yeah, no offense, but you’d make a terrible-looking creepy nun,” Yoruichi told him.

Renji laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll be a werewolf, complete with ears, claws, and a tail.”

The discussion then changed to their live in August and the setlist for that concert. Hisagi suggested that they play their most sexiest songs for the concert, since they would be wearing their risqué outfits from the ‘Black & White’ music video. He also suggested that they ramp up the fanservice for the live as well.

“More fanservice?” Renji repeated, grinning slightly. “I’m all for it.”

“And just how do you wanna ramp it up?” Ichigo asked.

Hisagi shrugged, smiling mischievously. “You know, act like high-class strippers?” he suggested.

Ichigo blushed, but he laughed. “Oh, what the hell?” he said, chuckling. “Someone said I look like a high-class stripper in that outfit, so I might as well act like one.”

“That’s the spirit!” Renji laughed. “I could teach you some moves if you want.”

All of Black Moon knew that Renji had been a stripper at some point, and none of them judged him. After all, they’d all done similar kinds of seedy jobs to make ends meet in their previous bands, in addition to the part-time jobs they’d done. Ichigo and Hitsugaya had worked in a host club, Hisagi had been an escort for wealthy older women, and Chad had done underground fighting. None of them judged each other on their pasts, as it was a part of who they were now. It helped them get by, even if they hadn’t liked it so much.

“Er, no thanks,” Ichigo said, laughing. “I don’t want to make Kuchiki Byakuya jealous.”

Renji blinked in surprise. “Wait, what?”

“Dude, you think we never noticed?” Ichigo asked. “Kuchiki Byakuya totally has a thing for you. And you have a thing for him as well.”

“You should’ve seen the way he was eyeing you during the ‘Black & White’ filming,” Hitsugaya agreed. “And you’ve also been spending a lot of time with him, right?”

“So? What makes you think that we’re a thing or whatever?” Renji tried to protest.

“Look, we’re not saying that you and Kuchiki Byakuya shouldn’t be together,” Hisagi said. “Just be careful, that’s all.”

“I think you and Kuchiki-san would be hot together,” Chad said, much to Renji’s surprise.

Yoruichi cleared her throat. “Okay guys, let’s get back on topic,” she ordered. “Renji, I’d like to talk to you after the meeting, though.”

The meeting continued with them discussing which songs to play, specifically the more suggestive-sounding songs, as well as doing a trailer for their Halloween concert to play at the end of the show. When the meeting ended, Renji hung around the meeting room while the rest of the band filed out.

Once they left, Yoruichi closed the door and sat next to Renji. “So, about you and Byakuya,” she began. “I’ve noticed that you’ve been getting rather close to him, Renji.”

Renji nodded, wondering where she was going with this. “Yeah, I have,” he said. “I’m helping him with songwriting and pursuing a career as a musician.”

Yoruichi smiled. “That’s good and all, but I’d like to know a little bit more,” she said. “What do you think of Byakuya?”

“Eh?” Renji was surprised at the question, but he answered.

“Kuchiki-san… he’s something else,” he said sincerely. “I’ve never seen a record label CEO so passionate about music before, and his songs are really beautiful. He’s always curious about the music industry and I actually like seeing him watching us film music videos. Also… he’s just, really pretty. Like, it should be illegal for someone like him to look so gorgeous.”

Yoruichi laughed at that. “Well, the Kuchiki family is a family full of pretty,” she said. A mischievous grin crossed her face. “But you like him, don’t you?”

There was no point in hiding it. Yoruichi was practically all-knowing, after all. So Renji nodded.

“I figured,” Yoruichi said triumphantly. “Well, so long as your little… attraction is kept secret from the media, you two should be fine.” She smiled. “Make him happy, will you? Byakuya deserves some happiness in his life.”

“Damn right,” Renji agreed. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt him.”

Smiling, Yoruichi patted his shoulder. Then, as if remembering something, she reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out two tickets, handing them to Renji.

“I just remembered, I have these two tickets for a Tres Bestias concert, but I can’t make it that night,” she explained. “You want them?”

“Sure thing,” Renji said, more than eager to accept them. No one could resist free concert tickets, after all. And Tres Bestias were supposed to be a pretty awesome metal band.

“It could also make for a perfect date,” Yoruichi added, grinning.

Renji blushed as he took the tickets. “Y-Yeah, it would,” he agreed. “Thanks.”

“No problem. And good luck,” Yoruichi said as Renji left the room.

* * *

The sun was setting by the time Byakuya arrived at Renji’s apartment complex. He’d been wanting to see Renji this whole day and before he even realized, he’d come over to Renji’s apartment in the hopes of talking to him.

Today had been busy for Byakuya. He’d been looking into recording his songs and looking for a good manager to help him become an artist, and he wanted some advice from Renji. After all, Renji would know quite a bit about what to do and how to become a successful artist. Also, he was a little eager to share what he’d been doing today.

Children’s laughter rang out from the parking lot, so Byakuya followed the sound. To his pleasant surprise, he saw Renji with a young boy and girl, and three other boys, all of them playing a game of futsal. He stood in the gateway of the apartment complex, watching the little game when the ball suddenly came rolling towards him.

When Renji came over to retrieve the ball, he was surprised to see Byakuya standing there.

“K-Kuchiki-san!” he greeted. “What’s up? I didn’t think you’d be coming here!”

“I wanted to see you,” Byakuya said quietly, observing Renji’s current attire. Dressed in cargo shorts and a black tank-top, Byakuya saw that there were a lot more tattoos on Renji’s body than he thought.

Renji looked at him curiously. “You wanted to see me? What for?”

“Well-”

“Oi, Renji!” A little boy with red hair came running up to him. “What’s taking so long, we need the ball now-” He stopped upon seeing Byakuya.

“Who’s this?” he asked.

Renji introduced the both of them. “Kuchiki-san, this is Jinta,” he said. “Jinta, this is Kuchiki-san, my… friend.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Byakuya said to the boy.

Jinta nodded before taking the ball from Renji. “Come on, we’ve got a game to play!” he said.

“Actually, you guys can keep on playing,” Renji told him. “I just want to talk to my friend for a bit.”

Jinta looked a little hesitant, but he conceded and ran back to his friends. Once he was gone, Renji turned back to Byakuya. “So, how’s it going?” he asked as they began walking through the apartment complex.

“Pretty good,” Byakuya said. “What about you?”

“Not too bad,” Renji said. “We’re almost done recording the album. All we gotta do now is design an album cover, promote the album, and also get it mastered. I’m sure that by the time it’s released in November, it’ll be awesome.”

Indeed, Byakuya was looking forward to the release of the album. He’d already bought the first mini-album and second album of Black Moon, and he was eager to hear just how this new one was going to sound. “What else happened today?” he asked.

“We discussed out upcoming concerts in August and October and planned out the setlists for those,” Renji said. “Ichigo just got his first tattoos, which are pretty cool, by the way, and we found out that we’re getting an international fanbase.”

Renji sounded proud and Byakuya couldn’t help but feel happy for him as well. “An international fanbase?” he asked, mildly surprised.

“Yeah, and there’s a particularly big one in Mexico, apparently,” Renji told him. “You know Chad, right? He’s half-Mexican, so him being in a Visual-Kei band is kind of a big deal over there.”

“Interesting,” Byakuya said. Right then, he thought of something. “Where are all of you from?”

“I’m from Hachioji,” Renji said. “Shuuhei’s from Wakayama and Ichigo’s from Karakura. Chad was born in Okinawa but he grew up in Mexico and then moved to Karakura when he was in middle school. And Toshiro comes from Edogawa.” He glanced at Byakuya. “Enough about me. What did you do today?”

“Well, I did a little bit of planning for recording some songs,” Byakuya started. “I’ve also been looking into possible managers, but I’m a little stuck. What would you recommend, Renji?”

Renji smiled, feeling honoured that Byakuya had come to him for advice. “You see, when you’re starting out in the music industry, getting a manager isn’t the first thing you should spend money on. We all relied on close friends with connections in the business to book our shows and all that. In Ichigo’s case, he relied on his cousins to promote Black Moon in the early days. And that’s how we were able to get Shihouin Yoruichi as our manager.”

Byakuya listened carefully as Renji continued speaking.

“It’s best to get a manager when you’re ready to establish yourself,” he said. “Then you need to ask around for referrals to good managers. You can ask musicians, promoters, bookers, all those people. And when you land someone, send them a few of your best songs, because you need to give them an idea of the kind of music you make and how far you’ve come along. So you’ll need a demo, a press kit, and a little biography or sorts.”

“It sounds almost complicated,” Byakuya said.

“Yeah, that’s the industry these days,” Renji said, shrugging. “But then again, you’re the CEO of your own record label. You can see which managers under the label can help, but I’d recommend doing a few shows first before getting a manager. Word of mouth is just as important, you know. You’ll need to save money for recording tracks and promoting your music as well.”

He smiled. “And if you need help with promoting shows, Rukia and I can help you out with that,” he said. “Yoruichi-san can also help you find a good manager.”

Byakuya felt his cheeks grow warm at Renji’s offer. “Where would you recommend performing at?” he asked.

“If you’re starting out, then nightclubs and smaller concert halls are the best,” Renji told him. “With my first band, we played at Meguro Rokumeikan. It’s really small, since it seats only about two-hundred people or so, but it’s popular for hosting first concerts, though that’s mainly in the Visual-Kei scene. People like Zaraki Kenpachi, Unohana Yachiru, Muguruma Kensei, they’ve all done first concerts there.”

“I’m curious,” Byakuya said. “Can it still be Visual-Kei if I incorporated the aesthetics but performed music of a different genre?”

“You can incorporate Visual-Kei into your music, for sure. No one’s stopping you,” Renji told him. “But see, Visual-Kei emerged in the underground rock scene, so I’m not sure if you’ll be considered a Visual-Kei artist. Then again, it doesn’t hurt to try.”

Byakuya nodded thoughtfully. “I see…” he mused. “What’s it like, doing a concert?”

Renji smiled. “It’s one of the best things you can experience,” he said. “The days leading up to the concert is exciting, because you’re rehearsing all your songs, planning your lineup, all that. The day of the concert is a little hectic, since you have to go to the venue, do sound checks, but it’s still pretty exciting. The hours before, though, when you’re backstage and getting dressed for the concert, and then doing a little group cheer, that’s really thrilling. But of course, nothing compares to actually being onstage.”

Byakuya listened, smiling fondly, as Renji continued describing the experience.

“Being onstage before so many fans… it can be a little scary at first,” he said. “But when you start playing for them and getting them riled up, it’s just… something to feel proud of, you know? These fans, they’re the ones who have been supporting us, and knowing that we’ve affected them in some way makes us really proud.”

He sighed. “I can’t really describe it too well,” he said. “I can tell you this: going to a concert and doing a concert are different experiences altogether.” Renji smiled again. “And knowing that there’s someone you care about in the crowd… that makes doing a concert even better, I guess.”

Byakuya found himself blushing at that. “I… I see…” he murmured.

Without thinking, he slid his hand into Renji’s and squeezed it gently. “I’d like to take you out somewhere, Renji,” he said. “On a proper date.”

Renji blushed a little but smiled. “That’s great! See, I already have an idea!” he said. “Yoruichi-san gave me some tickets for a Tres Bestias concert, and I was wondering if you’d like to go with me for that?”

“A concert date?” Byakuya mused. “I suppose that sounds like a good idea.”

Again, he remembered something. Shortly after seeing their first concert, Byakuya had made sure to follow the band on social media, including Ichigo’s, Chad’s, and Hitsugaya’s accounts. However, he hadn’t found Hisagi’s or Renji’s accounts, much to his surprise.

“I’m unable to find you online,” Byakuya admitted. “Three of your bandmates have social media platforms already, but why not you?”

“I have a blog,” Renji said, looking a little shy. “You’ll have to go through the official website to get to it. Shuuhei also has a blog.”

Pulling out his phone, Byakuya searched up the official website for Black Moon, tapping on the photo of Renji on the ‘Members’ page. Sure enough, there was a link to the blog, so Byakuya tapped on it.

He was not prepared for the sight of the most recent blog entry.

Upon the page was a photo of Renji. But it wasn’t just a simple photo, it was clearly from a photoshoot. Renji stood in hip-deep water, completely naked, and wet all over. Against a black background, Renji’s wet hair and tan skin stood out boldly and Byakuya couldn’t stop himself from tracing those tattoos with his eyes, particularly the jagged lines upon his abdomen that pointed to a very prominent V-line. Renji’s arms were folded behind his head and that crooked, wolfish grin he’d grown to love was upon his face.

But it was Renji’s eyes that truly caught his attention. His brown eyes glinted with an expression that Byakuya could only describe as seductive and sensual… basically, he was giving bedroom eyes to the camera.

“You’ve been staring at your phone pretty intensely,” Renji’s teasing voice brought Byakuya back to reality. “You okay?”

Byakuya’s entire face felt warm. “Y-Yes, I’m fine,” he said.

Renji laughed. “You saw the photo, didn’t you?” he asked. “That’s a little preview of a photoshoot I’ve done for the June issue of  _ Cure.  _ You like?”

“Very,” Byakuya said seriously.

“Don’t worry, Kuchiki-san. You’ll get to see a lot more of my tattoos in the magazine,” Renji told him, grinning even more when Byakuya blushed.

Byakuya quickly regained composure of himself and gave Renji a knowing smile, his eyes glinting with mischief. “And don’t I look forward to it,” he said, chuckling when Renji blushed.

"Also..." Byakuya said, getting Renji's attention. "Please call me 'Byakuya', now that we're in a relationship."

Despite his surprise, Renji smiled. "Sure thing, Byakuya," he said, blushing slightly.

Renji sure was adorable when he blushed, more adorable than he had any right being. How he’d fallen for such a man was beyond him, but Byakuya looked forward to whatever awaited the both of them.

**Author's Note:**

> This one was a little tough to write, tbh. But I hope it turned out okay!
> 
> PS: The places where the band members are from are based on where their Japanese voice actors were born (with the exceptions of Ichigo and Chad). Itou Kentarou, Renji's voice actor, comes from Hachioji in Tokyo; Konishi Katsuyuki, Hisagi's voice actor, comes from Wakayama; and Romi Park, Hitsugaya's voice actress, comes from Edogawa in Tokyo.
> 
> Let me know how I did :) Have a good one!


End file.
